 Jwalamukhi is famous temple Temple, 30km
south of Kangra valley of the goddess Jwalamukhi with flaming
mouth. In this temple there is a copper pipe through which
natural gas comes out and the priest of the temple lights
this. This flame is worshiped as a manifestation of the goddess
Jwalamukhi. The nine flames have been named after goddesses
- Mahakali, Unpurna, Chandi, Hinglaj, Bindhya Basni, Maha
Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ambika and Anji Devi, continuously burning
without any fuel, or assistance,may be seen erupting from
a rock-side. Now housed in the shape of nature is worshipped
as a goddess ,know as JWALAMUKHI. It is one of the 51 Shakti-pitha
temples. The great Mughal Emperor Akbar had visited this place
to test its originality. Jwalamukhi is one of the fifty one
Mahashakthi pithas.
Legend
The temple belongs to the golden period when the gods
roamed the Earth. Ancient legend speak if a time when demons
lorded over the Himalaya mountains and harassed the gods.
Led by Lord Vishnu, the gods decided to destroy them, they
focused their strengths an huge flames rose from the ground.
From that fire, a young girl look birth. She is regarded as
Adishakti the first 'Shakti' known as Sati or Parvati, she
grew up the house of Prajapati Daksha and later became the
consort of Lord Shiva. Once her father insulted Lord Shiva
and unable to accept this, she killed herself. When Lord Shiva
heard of his wife's death his range knew no bounds and holding
Sati's body he began stalking the three worlds. The other
gods trembled before his wrath and appealed to lord vishnu
for help. Lord Vishnu let fly a volley of arrows which struck
Sati's body and severed it to pieces. At the Places where
the pieces fell, the fifty-one sacred 'shaktipeeths' came
into being. Sati's tongue fell at Jwalaji (610m) and the goddess
is manifest as tiny flames that burns flawless blue through
fissures in the age-old rock. Even the Pandavas are regarded
to have visited this sacred place.
 According to another legend, the Goddess appeared in a dream
to a Brahmin in far away South India, and directed him to
proceed to the hills of Kangra in the shadow of the Dhauladhars
and search for small tongues of flame leaping from the ground.
The Brahmin, it is said responded discovered the sacred spot
and in due course of time, erected a temple. Some people believe
that Jwalamukhi represents the flaming mouth of Jalandhara,
the demon whom Lord Shiva crushed to death by placing on him
a huge mass of mountains. Popular beliefs and history are
often intertwined at Jwalamukhi. For instance, it is a fact
that Akbar the great Mughal Emperor visited the temple. The
water course which today drips into a tank in the temple premises
is said to have been constructed by Akbar in an attempt to
douse the jets of flames in the temple.
The story goes that when the flames refused to be vanquished
by the water channel specially constructed for the purpose,
Akbar with utmost humility, became a devotee of the Goddess,
and overcome by emotion, presented a chattra (umbrella) of
gold to the goddess. But when leaving, the Emperor looked
back with immense pride at the valuable gift that he had made
to the Goddess, and was mortified to find that the gold had
turned into copper! Later Akbar’s son Jahangir invaded the
Kangra valley and after seeing Jwalamukhi, wrote in his Tuzk
(memories) near the temple and on the slope of the hill there
is a sulphur mine and its heat causes flames to continually
burst forth. They call it Jwalamukhi(flaming face or fiery
mouth), and regard it as one of the idol’s miracles… Jahangir
goes on to relate the legend of Shiva and Parvati and other
stories connected with Jwalamukhi.
Histroy
In 1809, Maharaja Ranjit Singh visited the temple and
after dyeing his hand in saffron, stamped an agreement in
the temple premises with Raja Sansar Chand-the local ruler.
Later after tasting success in the Afghan war, Maharaja Ranjit
Singh gilded the roof of the Jwalamukhi temple as a thanksgiving.
His son Kharak Singh, presented to the temple a pair of silver
plated folding doors. It is recorded that in 1835 the temple
had a score of the most beautiful dancing girls. Today all
that has changed. While improved and faster modes of travel
(there are daily flights to the Kangra valley and more than
500 buses and 200 cars/taxis touch Jwalamukhi each day during
the peak Navratra-Nine Sacred Nights-sea son) have ensured
greater number of pilgrims than ever before, the administration
of the temple has undergone a sea change.
In princely times, temple affairs were guided and supervised
by the princely state of Nadaun. The raja (ruler) took upon
himself the task of deputing particular Pujaris (priests)
for daily rituals. After India gained Independence and the
break-up of the feudal system, the pujaris of Jwalamukhi administered
temple affairs to their advantage-and the detriment of pilgrims.
As a result, in March 1987, the state government enforced
an Act which empowered it to take over the administration
of the temple. Under the new system, the Temple Officer-who
is a government official-ensures that the 102 pojaris at the
temple perform the rituals on a daily rotation basis. 40 percent
of the temple’s daily collection goes to the pujari on duty
on that particular day. The remaining 60 percent is spent
by the Government on improving and developing facilities for
pilgrims and the poor and needy.
Puja
The deity is- offered Bhog of Rabri or thickened milk, Misri
or candy, seasonal fruits, milk and arti is done. There is
a mystic Yantar or diagram of the goddess, which is covered
with, shawls, ornaments and mantras are recited. The puja
has different 'phases' and goes on practically the whole day.
Arti is done five times in the day, Havan is performed once
daily and portions of "Durga Saptasati" are recited.
Places to see
Brijeshwari Devi Temple in Kangra town,
is 35 km. from Jwalaji.
Chamunda Devi Temple is at a distance of 60 km. from the shrine.
Shiva Temple at Baijnath is at a distance of 85 km. from the
temple.
Naina Devi Temple in Bilaspur district at a distance of 140
km.
Chintpurni Devi Temple in Una district is at a distance of
35 km. from Jwalaji.
Main Attraction
During March-April and September-October
every year colourful fairs are held during the Navaratra celebrations. |
